A Private and a Gentleman
by Kirby's Cowgirl
Summary: A story from early in Kirby's army career


Copyright 2/14 by Kirby's Cowgirl

This is fanfic, and not for profit, no copyright infringement intended

A Private and a Gentleman

Kirby closed the door behind them and grinned. He had spent the night with Blue before, but both of them were so drunk, they had passed out with their clothes on. When they had finally woke up the next morning, they were already AWOL, and had had to run back to the base. They'd both gotten caught, he'd done some brig time. He didn't know what her CO had done to her.

She was the most beautiful girl he'd seen in his life. She was French/Italian, tall, had long brown/ blonde hair, and green eyes. And she was _smart_. She was a translator on the base.

"Oh, god." she said.

"Blue, honey, you sick?" Kirby grabbed the trash can, thinking, " Crap, I am not spending the night taking care of her. I'll just go find me a poker game."

"Oh, god." It was almost a sob, and she slid off the bed and sat down in the floor.

Kirby realized that something was dreadfully wrong. All he wanted to do was run. He sat the trash can down, and watched her.

"Oh, god." she said again. "Today was his birthday." Crying now, she'd pulled the blanket off the bed and had her fists wrapped in it, rocking back and forth.

"Your husband?" Kirby asked gently, sitting down with her.

He had never heard a human being make such a noise. God, somebody was going to think he was killing her and kick in the door. He didn't even think she knew he was there. "Wasn't it enough that they took my Danny away from me? I had to lose my baby too?"

She jumped up, looking around wildly, and ran for the window. Kirby tackled her and held on tight. "Honey, calm down. Please calm down." He had never been so terrified in his life. He needed to get her back to the base, but it was two miles away, and he sure as heck couldn't carry her that far. And her CO was known for her temper, and liable to shoot him before she let him explain. He could run down the hall and bang on doors until he found Cass or Trish, but he knew if he left her, she was going to hurt herself.

Cussing under his breath, he folded her in his arms and rocked her, making soothing noises against her hair. So much for his plans for the evening.

She was sobbing so violently he was afraid she was going to crack some ribs. He had never heard a woman cry like that before. Heck, his Ma hadn't cried that hard when his old man left. Somehow, he just knew, that no woman would ever love him that much. He'd figured he get married eventually. He liked kids. Just find a pretty woman who didn't nag him about playing cards and drinking. He didn't figure he'd be faithful, but he wasn't gonna throw it in the woman's face either, the way that Alex's husband did to her.

He shouldn't have let himself think about Alex. As long as he thought of her as the girls hot tempered CO, he was fine. If he thought "Alex", he remembered the night on the obstacle course. He had never wanted a woman as badly as he wanted her. Still did. He couldn't get near the woman without tripping over his own feet or doing something stupid. And he'd never been inept with women. Overly friendly and a little too free with his hands, sure.

What if Alex loved her husband the way Blue had loved her Danny? That was just _wrong._ He hoped Blue's husband had loved her and cherished her.

He had thought, for a couple weeks, that Cass was the one. But she'd seemed to sense that he was getting serious, and told him not to fall in love with her, she was never getting married again. Her husband had been killed in Africa too. But what he'd had with Cass had been _nothing_ compared to the few minutes he'd spent with Alex. All the woman had done was pat him down and check him for broken bones.

How in the hell that could have been so intimate was beyond him. Her hands were just - he was going to break out in a cold sweat.

He was pathetic. He _could not_ be in love with a WAC officer that he didn't even know. A _married_, wealthy woman that he wasn't even supposed to speak to. He'd tried to tell himself that he just had a major crush on her. Until Cass came along, there had never been a woman he hadn't gotten over as soon as he charmed her into bed. But Alex was _different._

He just held Blue and patted her and made soothing noises. He couldn't believe how bad it hurt _him_ to do it. Hell, he needed about half a bottle of liquor. He thought he'd drain it in one gulp.

"Think about something else." he told himself. Eddie and Ruthie were engaged. His sister would have a great life with his best friend. Eddie was making some pretty good money as an officer too.

Jinglebob's wife was expecting a baby. He was so excited. They needed to get this damn War over with so he could go home and raise his kid.

Alex - Why did it always come back to Alex? If he married Alex - _If he married Alex?_ He had lost his damn mind. The woman was money and class. He was a punk from Chicago. Somehow, he just _knew_ that with that woman by his side, he could make something of himself. But she already had a son of a bitch husband.

"If she was mine, I would never, ever cheat on her." Kirby thought to himself. And not just because she had such a temper and was so good with a gun. She put on a tough as nails act, but he had a feeling that deep down, she was really vulnerable. He didn't want her hurt anymore.

"Kirby?" Blue was shaking him. "Oh, god, I'm sorry!"

It was morning. They were AWOL again. Scheiss was going to have him digging latrines for a month. Kirby groaned, struggled to his feet, and held out an arm for Blue to pull herself up with.

"Are you ok?" he asked Blue worriedly.

She put up her hand to stop him. "Don't talk. I've got to get you back to the base and explain to somebody. Scheiss will _kill_ you!"

"Captain West will probably beat him to it." Kirby tried to make a joke out of it.

"Alex likes you, Kirby. It's not fair that she's not supposed to talk to anybody." Blue said, as they started walking back to the base.

Alex was pacing back and forth in the kitchen. Her hair was a wild tangled mess. Kirby wondered if she would look like that after he'd made love to her all night, tripped over his own feet and nearly fell on the table where _General Taggart_ was drinking coffee.

"Are you alright?" Alex demanded, grabbing Blue, both of them crying. They started down the hall, and then Alex turned back to Kirby. "Thank you." She said softly. Then to the General, "I know this poor kid is AWOL. Can you do something -"

"I'll take care of it." Taggart said, noting the look that had crossed the "poor kid's" face when Alex had called him that. That boy _liked _her. He would probably treat her a hell of a lot better than Bill did. "Want some coffee, son?"

"No thank you, sir." Kirby said, standing at attention. The china cup in the General's hand looked like a piece from a doll's tea set.

"At ease." The General said, and Cass walked into the kitchen and kissed Kirby on the cheek.

"Bull, do you want some more coffee?" she asked, then to Kirby, "Sit down. He won't bite you."

Kirby remained standing, and the General chuckled. "Have a chair. I'll handle Scheiss for you. Alex has been pacing the floor all night."

Cass pulled a tin Army issue cup from the cupboard and fixed Kirby a cup of coffee. Kirby very carefully picked it up with two hands, and took a sip. The look of surprise on his face had Cass laughing out loud.

"It's called cream, Kirby."

He knew what cream was, but he'd never had any. He usually put some of that nasty powdered milk in his coffee to tone down the bitterness.

"I guess you can cut some grass for the cow today." Bull said, grinning at Cass.

Kirby looked at the two of them, not sure it was a joke. Then he heard the bellow.

"Ooh, I'm being summoned." Cass said. "Kirby, bring the bucket in the sink and that stool, and you can help me."

"Where are we going?" Kirby asked, grabbing the stool, and the bucket that he had thought was dishwater. She grabbed an empty bucket with a lid on it out of a cupboard, and stuffed some towels in her apron pocket.

"To milk the cow."

"What cow?"

"Where do you think the cream came from?"

Kirby looked at the huge beast that was tethered to the fence. It had horns. It was shaking its head at them. "Cass, you stay away from that thing."

"Good morning, Blossom." Cass said to the cow, walking right up to her and scratching her under her chin. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Cass, that thing is mean. You be careful."

"Blossom _is not_ mean." Cass kissed the cow's face. "She is a very good girl."

"Where you want me to dump this?" Kirby held up the bucket.

"That's Blossom's wash water." Cass said, tying the cow more securely to the fence.

"Wash water for what?" Kirby asked incredulously.

"You don't want dirty milk do you?"

Cass took the stool and the bucket from Kirby, sat down, and started washing the cows udder.

"Why do you do that?" Kirby asked, easing up for a closer look. The cow stomped a hind foot and popped her tail.

"Back off son." Bull said. "She doesn't like men. Badger beat the snot out of her."

"Why?" Kirby asked, then realized he was talking to _General Taggart._

"Because she wouldn't let down her cream." Cass said, cooing to the cow as she washed. "He's too stupid to know it was his fault. That's alright, we took care of it."

Badger was sporting a face that looked like it had tangled with a tree trunk, and everybody had been speculating about it.

"_YOU! YOU_ can't mess with Badger! He'll kill you!" Kirby looked at General Taggart. "You can't let the ladies tangle with Badger. He'll hurt them. He's not –" he shut up at the look on the General's face, mumbled, "Sorry."

Then he realized that Taggart was grinning at him. "Oh, I had a word with him. I told him what would have happened to him if _I_ had caught him beating the cow. He's lucky it was just Alex and Trish who got hold of him. Blue did say she kicked him a couple times though."

"Badger will -" Kirby stopped, shot a look at Cass. He needed to tell the General _exactly_ what Badger would do to retaliate, but not in front of her.

"I explained to Badger in no uncertain terms what would happen to _him_ if anything happened to any of the WAC's or animals on this base." The General actually chuckled. "And I told him he should pray for Methuselah's continued health."

Methuselah was one of the ancient mules who was used for trash detail. Somebody had told Kirby he was over thirty years old, and he believed them. 

"Scheiss -" Kirby started.

"I know they're buddies. I know _everything_ that goes on here."

Kirby turned green. That meant that the General knew that if he hadn't enlisted, he'd have been sent to prison. Surely he hadn't told the ladies that?

" Well if you'd let us use the obstacle course -" Cass started.

_God! _Did the General know that the girls went and ran the course in the dark? Did he know that Alex rode that damn mule in the moonlight, and did that dressage stuff ? Did he have a clue how many nights Kirby had been AWOL?

The General held up his hand to stop her. "I don't agree with it, but I can't allow it. We've got too many recruits here who can't make it thru the course, and you girls go out and make it look like a stroll in the park."

"You should have seen us the first time we went out with Patrick's squad." She laughed.

Kirby had never seen her eyes shine like that. He knew she had _really l_oved her husband. Blue and Trish had loved their men too. He just didn't understand - the General's voice cut into his thoughts.

"You help Cass with the cow this morning. She'll show you what to do. I'll find something else for you to do later."

"Yes sir." Kirby said. At least he wasn't digging latrines. He carried the milk into the kitchen for Cass, and helped her strain it. He had no idea what was involved. Then they went outside, and she showed him how to use a sling to cut tall grass for the cow to eat. He cut two wheelbarrows full, then went and started cleaning out the cow shed.

He'd cleaned the mules stalls when he'd been in the brig, and it hadn't been too bad. Definitely better than digging latrines. But this was _awful._ He didn't think he was ever going to get done. When he'd finally finished and scattered straw for the cow to lie on, he realized she'd soiled her water bucket too, and he had to scrub and re-fill it. Then he had to carry water for her out where she was tied to graze.

General Taggart sent him a lawnmower and instructions to mow the bank in front of the WAC headquarters and then rake the grass and haul it in for the cow. Kirby was dripping sweat and it was only mid morning. The guys ran by as they drilled and Scheiss didn't say a word when they heckled him. He just laughed at Kirby, and once again, Kirby swore that _someday_ he was going to kill the man.

At lunch time, Beth brought him a big sandwich and a jug of water. "Not that I don't appreciate it, " Kirby said as he unwrapped his sandwich after draining half the water, "But I don't think you're supposed to be out here with me."

She waved him off as she sat down on the bank next to him. "Alex told me to bring you something to eat. And to make sure you had enough water."

"Wow." Kirby said after his first bite of ham and cheese. "This is _really_ good."

"Alex made the bread and Blue made the cheese. They're trying to teach me." Beth leaned closer and whispered, "Alex made cheese once and we tried to eat it because we didn't want to hurt her feelings, but it tasted like rubber. Blue told her to stick to bread, and she'd make our cheese."

Kirby laughed in spite of himself. "I guess _you_ shot the pig?" he winked at her. Beth was a small nonathletic girl, and couldn't keep up with the rest of the WAC's, much to her chagrin.

"You're funny, Willie." She wrinkled up her nose at him. "And I can hit a target now. Alex said she would teach me to shoot if it took her the rest of her life."

Kirby nearly choked on the bite of his sandwich he had in his mouth. A visiting bigwig had complained about WAC's wasting ammo on what he considered unnecessary target practice, and Alex had had four of her women make perfect heart shots on silhouettes. Then she had made four perfect shots herself, using the same targets, only she'd aimed much lower. She'd sweetly informed the Colonel that General Taggart, _himself_, had taught her how to shoot, that she'd qualified expert with a BAR, under _three_ different instructors, and asked him if he'd ever shot a man off of a galloping horse.

Kirby had asked his friend Jinglebob, who worked on the ranch that Alex supposedly lived on, what she meant. All of the recruits were fascinated by the ugly jagged scar on Jinglebob's chest, and Kirby had taken one look at it and hoped that he never got shot.

Jinglebob had sighed, put his rifle down, and looked at Kirby and their friend Detter, and said, "If you _ever_ say anything about this to Miss Alex, I will stomp your butt in the ground."

Coming from the mild mannered kid, who Kirby considered his best friend, that had been a shock. But the rest of the story Kirby could hardly believe. Jinglebob had told them that they'd been chasing some rustlers on horseback, when they started exchanging gunfire. The older Mr. West had yelled at Alex to drop back, seconds before one of the rustlers had shot Jinglebob and his poor horse. He said that Alex had dropped the man with a heart shot.

"God," Jinglebob said, starting to cry. "I loved that horse. And it hurt like hell getting shot. But hearing Miss Alex and my Candace cry, that just felt like somebody ripped my guts out."

Kirby had shot Detter, who was older, a horrified look. He had no idea what to say to their friend.

"That was a long time ago." Detter said, laying a gentle hand on Jinglebob's shoulder. "How is your lovely Candace? Did you get anymore pictures in her last letter?"

Detter was married to an extremely beautiful woman and had five kids. His wife sent him a huge box of desserts every two weeks, and he shared with everyone. He was extremely popular on the base. Kirby couldn't believe they'd let him enlist. The man could not shoot or strip down a rifle. He had done almost as much brig time for incompetence as Kirby had for being AWOL.

Detter had photos of his wife and kids that he proudly showed to anyone who would look. _Jinglebob_ had photos of horses and cattle. He had told Kirby who all of them were, just like they were his family. And he had one picture that Kirby, who had no photos at all, would have given a month's pay for. Jinglebob's wife, Candace, and _Miss Alex,_ as Jinglebob called her, on horses, all decked out in their rodeo finery.

"Willie? Willie?"

Kirby blinked himself back to the present, realized Beth was shaking his arm. Why in the hell she called him _"Willie"_ was beyond him. He'd always been Billy, or Bill, or William G -

"Sorry, honey." He tried to grin at her. "I'm just tired."

"Hung over is what you are." She glared at him. "Why do you drink so much and get into so much trouble? You're a good boy."

"Sweetheart, I'm a _man._ And believe me, I was never a _good boy."_ She looked just like Ruthie had when she was twelve. She reminded him of home, a long time ago. When things hadn't been so dark. Good God, if the guys ever found out that he took her to the park to feed the ducks, he'd never hear the end of it.

"What did you do?"

Kirby had no idea where this conversation was going, but decided he was going to end it. He didn't want to hurt the kid's feelings. She was just a baby, but she was getting into things he didn't want to even begin to think about. "I got to get back to work. Thanks for the sandwich." He got up and reached down a hand to pull her to her feet.

"I asked Alex if you murdered somebody, and she laughed at me and said no." Beth looked like she wanted to cry. "You're a good person, Willie. Why were they going to send you to prison?"

Kirby felt his face grow hot with shame. _They knew._ Of course they knew. One of the guys had made a real stink over the fact that Alex had cancelled his date with one of her WAC's. The next day, 2 MP's had loaded him and his gear in a jeep. Whatever he'd done that Alex didn't approve of, she had enough clout to get him removed from the base. The fact that she was related to General Taggart certainly didn't hurt. She protected and looked after the women in her command like a mother hen. But she'd still let him go out with Beth? He didn't understand that.

"I was stupid. I got caught." He handed her the empty water jug. "I think you better go back to work before I do something dumb again."

"Alex said everybody is entitled to be young and foolish once." Beth stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry I upset you."

Kirby forced back his tears as he watched her leave. Alex thought he was a punk kid. He'd been having fantasies about marrying the woman, and she _felt sorry for him?_


End file.
